ABUJA ––President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua yesterday, sacked Ambassador Babagana Kingibe as Secretary to Government of the Federation.
In his place, the Minister of Defence Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed has been appointed to administer the cabinet’s secretariat.
Alhaji Ahmed reassignement is expected to take effect from yesterday.
The return of President Yar’Adua puts paid to heightened rumours of his bedridden ailments that were feared to incapacitate him in his duties as President and Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Ambassador Kingibe who strolled into the ceremony where newly promoted military officers were decorated received his letter of sack shortly after the event was over.
By his sack, the former Secretary to Government of the Federation and “June 12” turncoat, has become the first casualty of an impending cabinet shake-up.
Sources close to the presidency volunteered that President Yar’Adua is likely to dissolve his “lackluster” cabinet tomorrow - (Wednesday).
Investigation by The NIGERIAN OBSERVER revealed that the pressure on President Yar’Adua to sack the former SGF assumed its climax on Sunday when his loyalty to the Federal Government became doubtful.
However, other members of the presidential cabinet, who attended the decoration of the elevated defence chiefs yesterday, were seen in very reserved mood.
The apprehensive ministers, it was further gathered, were at a loss as to their status in the coming weeks as the presidency is allegedly bent on bringing in new faces to replace the old players in his government.
The ailing President was said to have returned to Nigeria under pressure from his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains and his family friends.
His return was shrouded in secrecy as his plane touched down under the cover of darkness without any detailed airport ceremony, just like his departure from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, yesterday, decorated the newly appointed and promoted chiefs of the nation’s defence command structure with their new ranks.
The President who demonstrated a feat fitness as he decorated the newly appointed military henchmen reiterated his determination to pursue his administration’s seven-point agenda with utmost vigour and enjoined the Nigerian defence services to fall inline accordingly.
“I wish to reassure Nigerians that this Administration remains unwavering in its steadfast pursuit of the requisite macro-economic and structural reforms as well as the concretisation of transparent, consistent, stable, and predictable policies necessary for the attainment of our Vision 2020”, the president noted.
Among those decorated by the President were Air Marshal Paul Dike the hitherto Chief of Air Staff (CAS) who was elevated to the post of Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, Chief of Army Staff who has been promoted Lieutenant General, Rear Admiral Isaiah Iko Ibrahim, Chief of Naval Staff, also promoted Vice-Admiral and Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, Chief of Air Staff.
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